What Changes With Time
by Karliah357
Summary: Fifteen years after the incident at camp Raz and his partner, Kezia, are sent on a mission crucial to the survival of the Psychonauts. Reunited with Lili after their falling out the three must find the source of the attacks that have been devastating the ranks of the Psychonauts, all while Lili finds herself desperately looking for answers concerning Raz's odd personality change.
1. Fifteen Years Later

The bartender looks up as a new patron approaches the bar. He's an odd looking guy, about twenty-five years old with a thick five o'clock shadow. His purple-red hair contrasts sharply against his nearly colorless gray eyes.

"Don't see people like you much around here. Where ya from?"

His eyes scan the man up and down. He has on a dark green turtleneck under a loose grey jacket the same color as his pants. He's carrying a single strap bag across his back of a lighter grey and from his hip dangles a smaller, navy bag. He places his hands, adorned in black fingerless gloves, on his head to adjust a pair of red-lensed goggles sitting in his slightly disheveled hair.

"I'll have a sazerac cocktail. Brandy, not whiskey. She'll have the tequila sunrise."

The bartender arches an eyebrow and looks past him through the busy room. Sitting in a booth in the back is a woman reading a newspaper. He looks her over as well, his eyes dropping from her shoulder length strawberry blonde hair and her turquoise elbow length jacket to her tan shorts and her lithe, porcelain legs tipped in a low brown quarter boot.

The man clears his throat, snapping the bartender back to reality. He looks up slowly at the obviously irritated man who'd just watched him check out his lady.

"She isn't taken, but she isn't interested either."

"Sorry man. I'll get those drinks."

He turns away awkwardly, quickly making the beverages and handing them back to him. The man pulls some coins from his navy pouch and drops them on the bar, ignoring the bartenders outstretched hand.

He returns to the booth and sets the colorful drink in front of the blonde. Her eyes, the same almost colorless grey, are fixated unblinking at the paper she's holding.

"See anything, Kay?"

"Not yet…he hasn't delivered the letter. He's too busy chatting up the brunette by the jukebox."

"The whole time?"

"Yes, and I swear he hasn't looked at her face once."

"How lecherous."

Reaching inside his jacket he retrieves a cigarette tin, placing the filter between his lips and striking a match. Her brow furrows and it sputters out.

He raises an eyebrow at her and it relights, but she frowns and it goes out again.

"Jeez Kezia, it's just one cigarette…"

"I already agreed to drinks, Raz. We're on the job, how are we supposed to sneak around with you reeking of smoke all the time? And you know I don't like being called by my name when we're working."

"You're just moody because you've been forced to stare at another woman's breasts for an hour."

Her lips twitch up into a slight smile.

"Alright then, Razputin. Why don't you switch over and use clairvoyance on him instead of me?"

Now it's Raz's turn to frown.

"Hey, that name is too well known to say so loudly."

"As is mine."

"Alright, alright. Back to nicknames for now."

After a short silence Kezia leans forward slightly.

"He's moving into a back room."

"What do you see?"

"A card table. Our target is there, he's sitting between two shady men."

"Shady how?"

"Loan sharks possibly. He's pulling out the letter. The exchange has been made."

"Great. It's out of our hands now."

Kezia blinks rapidly, her eyes tearing up slightly from being open so long. Raz slides her drink towards her and she picks it up, sipping it as he knocks back half of his in one gulp.

"What's the rush?"

"We may not want to be here in a few minutes."

Kay looks at him questioningly and the two down their drinks, leaving the bar quickly and driving away in a simple unmarked black car.


	2. Last Peaceful Night

They arrive back at their hotel room, tossing their bags onto the bed haphazardly. Kezia flips on the television and removes her boots.

"I swear Raz, you have the most uncanny ability to always know when something is about to happen."

Flashing across the screen is news coverage on a bar fight that must have broken out after they left.

"There were some guys arguing, it wasn't like I predicted it."

"I never know with you. Maybe you can see the future."

Kezia laughs as Raz throws his jacket at her, rolling his eyes.

"You know I can't. Only one line of psychics has ever been able to do that, and it isn't even that accurate."

"Haha, you never know with us."

She folds his jacket and hangs it over a chair with her own before going to take a shower. Raz takes the opportunity to sneak out and smoke a cigarette, hoping he can wash the smoke off before she notices. She hated sleeping next to him when he smelled, though he doubted she'd say anything regardless. She's always been too nice for her own good.

Kezia exits the hotel bathroom in a pair of grey sweatpants and a baggy blue shirt, sitting on the bed to brush her wet hair while Raz takes his shower. He returns in red flannel pants and a white undershirt in time to watch her use telekinesis to braid her hair, the individual strands separating and swirling together until every hair has been flawlessly collected and bound.

"I still don't understand how you can do that."

"And I still don't understand how you can snipe a person off of a roof four blocks away with a PSI blast."

"To each their own."

"At least mine is practical." She jokes, prompting Raz to smack her with his pillow as he plunks down beside her on the bed. They sit and watch the news together for a while as they wait for their hair to dry. She fiddles with her braid as the broadcast switches to a story about a bomb scare in Hawaii.

"I wonder who keeps paying the Psychonauts to set up all these politicians."

"Someone who is trying to be a vigilante, probably. They're only targeting the corrupt ones."

"I wasn't aware there were politicians who weren't corrupt."

"Every little bit helps I guess, they've already removed four of them from their positions."

After some small talk they turn off the lights and lay down to sleep.

A few hours later Raz begins thrashing, fighting an invisible creature that only exists in his mind. The movement wakes Kezia, who hurriedly rolls over and seizes Raz's shoulders in her hands, shaking him until his eyes shoot open. He looks around frantically, breathing hard as the cold sweat that has matted his hair to his forehead cools in the air. She grabs the corner of the sheet and uses it to dry Raz's face as he recollects himself.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah…I'm alright."

Without a word Raz wraps both arms around Kezia's hips, laying his head on her stomach. Her only acknowledgment of the contact is a gentle hand she places on the side of his head, petting his hair until he nods off again. After that she settles back and attempts to fall asleep, wondering if she would fall victim to the same horrors that had gripped Raz minutes prior.


	3. An Old Flame

Raz opens his eyes, releasing the puff of smoke he had been holding through his nose. The morning after he and Kezia had taken a flight to New York so he could purchase something for one of his sisters. She had recently gotten married and he already bad enough for missing the wedding.

He hated shopping. It always ended the same way: he'd stress over what to buy, get irritated, and end up walking the streets leaving Kezia behind to make the decision. It felt weird sending his family gifts he didn't pick out himself, but bad habits were hard to break. She never bought a bad gift, though. They were always thoughtful things Raz figured he probably would have gotten himself if he had the patience.

Rounding the corner he feels a sudden chill flit across his skin. It's his only warning before he flies up off the ground and is catapulted into a nearby ally, stopping with the clank of his shield against the brick. He silently thanks his minds sharp reflexes and actively holds the energy shield, scanning the shadows and calling out cautiously.

"Who's there?"

Abruptly the telekinetic power holding him to the wall turns him upside-down. His cigarette tin slips from his coat pocket and clatters to the ground below, along with some loose change.

"Since when do you smoke?"

Recognition flashes through Raz's eyes just as he's released. With a graceful flip he swings the energy from underneath him creating a levitation ball and gently descends to the ground.

"It's good to see you, Lili."

She smiles. She looks so different, tall and slightly muscled from training oversees. Her body has filled out nicely over the years into womanly curves accentuated by the black vest atop her washed out pink shirt and her skinny jeans. He realizes she's wearing the black, calf-high boots he mailed her last Christmas. Even though they hadn't seen each other since graduating they still sent each other letters, gifts and things for birthdays and holidays in an unspoken mutual gesture.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it Raz?"

"Nearly six years. Yeah."

She takes a step closer, looking closely at his face. Her eyes are that same beautiful green, her red hair cascading over her shoulders. He wonders when she stopped tying it back, since it seemed she now had a preference for headbands.

"Woah, and you wear contacts too?"

"Something like that."

"What does that mean?"

He shrugs his shoulders and interrupts her further comment.

"What are you doing back? Visiting your dad?"

"No, I was transferred back."

He tries and fails to contain his surprise. He does, however, manage to contain the wash of dread and panic that blankets him.

"Why? Didn't you like working in Europe?"

"The United States division of the Psychonauts recently suffered a few losses, so the European division sent some of us back here."

"I heard about that. Terrible incident, but they stopped the bomb from getting to Hawaii."

An awkward silence passes between them as they try to find something, anything else to say. Raz realizes Kezia is probably waiting for him and breaks the silence.

"So uh…shall we walk?"

She nods and hands him his cigarette tin. They start walking as he pulls one out, giving her a questioning look. She doesn't object, so he lights it with the tip of his thumb and sticks it between his lips.

The silence becomes palpable even as the world continues pulsating noisily around them.


	4. Line Of Galochio

Raz and Lili walk back to the hotel he is staying at. He doesn't want to, but he knows Lili will have to meet his partner at some point. Even though the Psychonauts have them assigned together, he knows Lili isn't going to like it. This is certainly going to be the most awkward part of their reunion.

Kezia looks up from a chair in the foyer where she's been quietly reading a book. Lili stops walking and turns to him with an accusatory look on her face.

"_She_ is your partner?!"

He cringes slightly at the disappointed tone in her voice. Kezia simply raises an eyebrow at them as she picks up the bag beside her chair and approaches.

"Yeah, why?"

"Why?! You know why!"

Kezia, in an attempt to provide a distraction, hands Raz the bag.

"I got this; I hope it's something your sister would like."

Peeking in he glances at the beautiful photo album. She even had his sister's and her husband's names engraved in the leather.

"It's perfect. Thank you, Kay."

Kezia takes one look between the two of them and, sensing the growing tension, takes the bag back and retreats to the elevator. Once she's gone Lili crosses her arms and glares at him.

"When Vernon told me you had a questionable girlfriend while I was at HQ I was NOT expecting this, Razputin."

"She isn't my girlfriend, Lili. HQ partnered us together, I had no say in this arrangement."

"Oh come on, nobody rents that many single bed hotel rooms for themselves and their partner if there isn't something going on."'

Raz decides next time he saw Vernon he was going to PSI blast that gossipy busybody through his computer screen. The guy had went from being a boring storytelling kid to a loose lipped information technician. He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, tired of this before it's even begun.

"I have my reasons. Why do you care who she is anyway?"

"Because that's Kezia Galochio! Have you forgotten what her family did to yours? You know, the cursed Hand of Galochio that tries to drown everyone related to you by blood? What would your father say?"

Raz turns on her angrily, his voice coming out harsher that he intends it to.

"You can't blame her for something a great-grandsomething did. She's her own person you know, not everyone is a physical manifestation of their family line. You should be quite familiar with how annoying it is to constantly be compared to a family member, isn't that right Ms. Daughter of the Grand Head of the Psychonauts?"

"This is different!"

"Why? Because that isn't the only reason you disapprove of her?"

The two exchange a heated, annoyed stare, neither wanting to retaliate further. It was no secret the two had left off on a sour note all those years ago.

After the incident at Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp they had left with Sasha and Milla on their first official mission, which was to save Lili's father. It went off without a hitch and the two had been allowed to enter the Psychonaut's Training Academy a full year early without a problem. The minimum age to enter was eleven, and even if they were old enough many didn't pass the entrance exam. It had been an honor, and Raz could still remember the look of pride on his father's face when he'd told him the news.

They were the schools hottest item, known as the "Child-Sweetheart Heroes" for more than just the camp incident and mission. Raz and Lili were two of the most promising psychics in the Academy, and subsequently the most popular. By the time they graduated they had been dating for almost eight years and were extremely close friends.

Raz never found out if it was a test from her father or what. A week before the graduation ceremony Lili announced she was being sent to the European division. It wasn't the announcement that started the fight. In fact, he couldn't remember what the reason was anymore. It was mostly a blur, his memory jumping to the end when Lili left in tears, he destroyed half of his dorm in self-directed anger, and he regretted every hurtful thing he had said to her. Even now he wondered if she truly meant the things she had said, or regretted them like he did. They ended up graduating without ever settling things, and even though they corresponded off and on over the years there were never any apologies. There was only brief letters, almost like they couldn't quite let go.

Raz rubs his hand over his tired face, his features softening as he relaxes his posture. Lili backs down as well and, for a moment, sees Raz looking much older than he is. Her voice is quiet and worried.

"What happened to you? What happened to my headstrong, brave Raz?"

"Go home, Lili."

"But why? Why won't you talk to me?"

"It's been six years, Lili, I'm not the person I used to be. Do yourself a favor and forget about it."


	5. The California Mission

"Damn it all!"

Raz throws the small tablet across the room. Kezia, who had previously been watching TV, catches it with her telekinesis before it can smash against the wall. It isn't the first nor the last time she will ever have to save a poor, defenseless communication device.

"More bad news?"

"All the past month has been is bad news! I can't believe that bomb had only been the first of it!"

Kezia frowns and retracts the tablet to herself, reading the report.

**High Alert, Security Threat Level 2**

**Attention Psychonauts,**

**We regret to inform you all that there has been another coordinated attack. This time four of our agents have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty, bringing the death count for this month up to twelve. All agents are to remain on high alert. We believe this is an effort to exterminate the Psychonauts. Report any suspicious activity immediately.**

**Amelie, Dunham, Nezrine, and Rider's bodies will be returned to their families. **

"Twelve, Kay! These crazy bastards have killed TWELVE of us in ONE MONTH."

"And that isn't including the five who died in the Hawaii bomb incident or the two who were assassinated last month…"

Raz throws away the used filter and sticks another cigarette in his mouth. Normally Kezia would chew him out for smoking in their hotel room, but recent events have them both on edge.

"I hope our backup gets here soon. Maybe we'll find something at the docks."

"God I hope so…we can't lose anyone else…"

There is a knock at the door and the two stand up, preparing to greet their new partner.

"Speak of the devil."

Kezia retrieves her jacket just in time to hear Raz open the door and choke on his cigarette smoke. Turning around she finds the source of his obvious discomfort is none other than Lili Zanotto herself.

He manages to compose himself and stares at her in disbelief, wondering if every force in the universe is suddenly working against him.

"They sent you?"

"…Yes, yes they did."

"This is…ugh, never mind we need to get to the docks."

He straightens the goggles atop his head and brushes past her, walking towards their car. Kezia starts to apologize for Raz's behavior, but Lili just shakes her head and walks out to the car as well.

Kezia sighs and retrieves her keys from the table.

"Razputin, are going to be the death of me…"

With that she goes out to join the two. Raz is sitting shotgun and Lili is in the back, so Kezia drives. During the ride Lili thinks back to when she was at HQ a few days prior.

"_Vernon, are these the files?"_

"_Yep! Since you have level four clearance you can view them."_

"…_Wait...Where are Razputin and Kezia's files?"_

"_Oh, those? They're on the max security level."_

"_What?! Why?"_

"_I don't know, Lili. I only handle this stuff. All I know is that right before they were partnered together all their information suddenly disappeared. Now it's classified."_

It isn't long before they are walking through the warehouses on the docks, the smell of sea and fish hanging heavily in the air. Raz shudders.

"I have a bad feeling about this…"

Moments later they see their target, a fat balding man, pulling out to sea on his yacht. Raz sighs exasperatedly.

"I knew it…I hate boats…"

With that the three set out to sea on a low dingy under the cover of nightfall towards the considerably larger vessel. Kezia is the first to break the silence.

"So Lili, they briefed you already, right?"

"Yeah, we're going after a guy with ties to the mafia. They're suspected of being behind the attacks."

Kezia nods, looking out towards the yacht.

"You graduated from the Academy? I don't remember you."

Lili is eyeing Kezia, making her uncomfortable. She stares at her blankly for a moment before replying.

"I graduated three years before you, you wouldn't remember me."

"But-"

"Lili."

Both women look at Raz, who is sitting rigidly inside the boat glaring at them through the darkness.

"That's enough, please."

Lili begins to protest, but they are getting too close to the yacht to speak.

Suddenly a bomb blows near the boat, rocking it onto its side.

"RAZ!"

Both women lunge for him as his body starts over the side of the boat, the Hand of Galochio seizing his body and dragging him into the ocean. Without hesitation they both go over the edge after him.

Lili refocuses her eyes in the salty water. There are floating bombs all around the boat, the whole thing must have been a trap. Locating Kezia in the water she realizes she has found Raz first.

Kezia touches the Hand, causing it to spasm and break apart in the water. Raz, newly freed, begins kicking his feet clumsily as Lili reaches them and helps Kezia haul him to the surface.

Kezia uses levitation to get them all out of the water. Lili idly wonders how the she is that good at it as they hurry to the yacht by air. Onboard they find their target dead and the boat void of people. By now Raz has finally found his bearings and has his hands on his knees, catching his breath.

"We were…set up…"

He sits down and looks over the man's body. Lili turns to Kezia in confusion.

"You can make the Hand go away?"

"Yes, that's one of the reasons I was appointed his partner."

"But why only temporarily? Why not get rid of the curse for good?"

Kezia avoids her gaze, seeming to be trying to find the words.

"That's the thing…the curse can only be lifted-"

"I recommend we leave."

Raz shuffles back to the edge of the boat. He grabs Lili around the waist and levitates her high into the air, Kezia not far behind him. They are about halfway to shore when the yacht explodes in the distance.

Lili stares at him in astonishment as they fly through the air at unexpected speeds.

"Raz! I thought your specialization was offensive energy?!"

Raz and Kezia refuse to answer her questions, so Lili just glances between them incredulously. A flaw with psychics is that they can only truly master one, maybe two abilities, though they can learn multiple abilities which are developed at a considerably weaker level. It's because the human brain can only sustain so much at once, like a bowl. Because of this every Psychonaut is assigned a specialization in the Academy. Raz's specialization was marksmanship, though they gave him the specialization of offensive energy because he could do that weird energy hand thing. They suspected he absorbed some of the psychic power from the curse to learn to do that.

But Lili knew that Raz had never reached this power level with levitation at the Academy. Back then he could barely bounce and float, but now he can fly flawlessly with an extra passenger at this speed?

What happened the six years she was gone?


	6. The Assassin

Back at the docks they quickly hide themselves in a warehouse. Raz and Kezia begin speaking using telepathy, which Lili can't do but manages to participate through Raz.

'There could be more'

'Yes, we need to find a way out of here'

'The car tires were slashed'

'Looks like we're walking'

'Right. Too risky to levitate'

'Let's go'

They make their way as silently as possible through the warehouses when suddenly a familiar numbing sensation fills their minds, causing them to stumble around momentarily.

Raz recovers from the confusion quickly. Lili is lying on the ground babbling incoherently and Kezia is nowhere in sight. He snatching her up by her shoulders and gives her a shake, calling out to her.

"Lili! LILI!"

"Huh? Wha…what?"

"There's another psychic here, he must be the assassin that set us up. We have to find Kezia!"

With that they set off with the element of surprise. The guy knows the confusion should last him a couple of hours, but doesn't know that Raz can recover from it so quickly. An outside source is the best cure for that ability, so Lili also snapped out of it without much effort.

"Raz! In here!"

She's pointing to Kezia, slumped against the weathered wall with a doorway on her forehead. Standing in front of her is the assassin, a man neither one of them recognizes. At least, his body is. His mind is in Kezia's.

"Crap…we can't tear them apart without hurting Kezia."

"We're going in?"

"Yes. Hurry."

He reaches up and grasps his goggles, pulling them down over his eyes. His body goes rigid and Lili knows his mind is gone. With that she closes her own eyes and follows him into Kezia's brain.

When she opens them again she is beside Raz, the two of them standing in front of a large caravan.

"A caravan?"

"A gypsy caravan."

Lili looks at him questioningly, her eyebrow raised.

"Okay it isn't that important, I just felt the need to point out it's different from a circus caravan. Anyway, I had us bypass her Conscious level straight to the Subconscious level."

The human mind is separated into layers that gradually melt into one another. There is the outer layer, the Conscious level, which only shows what the person wants you to see. The second Subconscious level houses general memories and knowledge. Next is the seal above the Deep Subconscious, which is commonly referred to as a person's "Happy Place" that they retreat into. It's a layer of calm that hides the horrors below in the Deep Subconscious, which houses all those memories that people don't want to remember.

"Eeep!"

The both glance up in time to see a little, child version of Kezia sitting at a table outside the caravan. She must be about six, wearing a pink dress and no shoes. She has her thumb in her mouth, sucking on it as tear fill her eyes.

"Is that Kezia's Id?"

"Yeah."

When one enters their own mind they become the combined embodiment of their own Ego and Superego. The Id isn't absorbed because it's too primitive, and such life-sustaining impulses aren't needed when inside one's own mind. Absorbing all three just makes everything complicated, so psychics often run into their own Id while in the outer portions of their mind.

Raz approaches the little girl and ruffles her hair.

"Hey, Kay."

"Razputin!"

Her face lights up with a smile. Lili notices the small girl's bright blue eyes and another red flag went up. Why were Raz and Kezia's eyes gray?

"What are you doing?"

"Oh…momma's making me learn to sew so I can start helping her make money. She also said that it'll help me get a husband faster, but I keep poking my finger…"

Little Kezia's Id has bandages on most of her fingers, and a massive pile of cloth on one side of the table. It looks like she hasn't finished a single blanket yet.

Raz gently takes her hands, an apologetic smile on his face.

"Where is your mother Kezia?"

"My mother? My mother…oh right…"

Her face twists slightly. The caravan vanishes and suddenly the two are in a field.

"My mother is dead…I'm an orphan…"

"I'm sorry I had to do that to you, Kezia, but we had to get to the seal. Where did that man go?"

"He's in the bad place…I don't go there…"

With that she runs into the trees and vanishes. Lili swallows hard.

"I…I didn't know that…I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it. You didn't know and I didn't tell you. Kezia is the last living Galochio, so she ended up at the Academy when she was about seven. The Galochio's don't exactly have a good family name, so the Psychonauts got ahold of her before she could end up in the foster care system."

Lili scans the field over as they walk. It's beautiful, with various picnic related figments scattered about.

"Wait…are these flowers made of…paper?"

"Origami. Yeah, it's her hobby. She said flowers die too quickly so she makes her own. Here we are."

The two are standing at the edge of a cliff above a thrashing, swirling whirlpool.

"Shall we?"

He holds his hand out to her. Lili slips her hand in his and they turn, jumping into the abyss below.


	7. Guilt And Injustice

Lili gasps and sits up, realizing she's laying on a cold tile floor. She's alone in the Deep Subconscious level.

"Raz? Raz!"

No reply. Getting up she looks around and realizes she's standing in one of the halls of the Academy.

"This is one of her worst memories?"

She walks through slowly, checking each empty classroom in search of Raz, but finding nothing.

Eventually she reaches a room near the end of the hall. It's so much darker there; she can barely see the door handle to open it. She steps inside, flicking the light on…

And lets out a scream.

Blood, so much blood is spattered across the desks, wall, window, even the ceiling in an impossible arch. She fights down the growing sense of nausea as she spots something twitching underneath the teacher's desk.

A safe.

She knows she shouldn't open it, but she has to know. She glances around uncomfortably as she grasps the handle. As the old, rusted safe door opens a memory pours into her mind.

_A nine-year-old Kezia sat at her desk. She was early, so only a few students were in the room. They all looked older, twelve or thirteen most likely._

"_Hey fatface, give me your lunch again."_

_A portly ginger girl was sitting in front of the window, looking terrified. A much taller, muscular brunette was harassing her while her two friends giggled beside her._

"_B-But you took my lunch yesterday too-"_

"_Hah! You should miss a few meals, fatty. Or we could just make sure you're in the nurse's office all lunch break instead, you'd make a cushy punching bag."_

_Kezia slammed her fists on her desk and stood. Enough was enough!_

"_Leave her alone, Meredith! I'm tired of you harassing our peers!"_

"_Well lookie here, little miss psychic prodigy actually grew some balls! What are you gonna do kid, convince me to be a better person?"_

_Meridith and her cronies cackled. _

"_Look, you get one more strike against you and you're out of the Academy. Give it a rest; you've had your fun."_

"_Haha, what are you going to do? Call your momma?"_

_Meredith yanked Kezia out of her chair and pinned her against the wall. She was much, much bigger and considerably stronger physically. _

"_Must suck huh? Must suck that your daddy was a one night stand and your mother hated you so much she threw herself off a cliff, huh? Must suck that your entire family is dead, don't it you orphaned wannabe? You're only here because the higher ups didn't want a Galochio floating around in the foster care system. They don't want you out cursing anyone else, ain't that right tainted blood?"_

_Kezia looked bored and rolled her eyes._

"_Yes, my family is dead, but for your information my father died in a car accident before I was born and my mother slipped off that cliff. Karma wasn't kind to the Galochios, and it wasn't kind to you. I seem to recall that your father is an abusive drunk and last I heard I could buy your mom off a street corner for three hours with a hundred bucks. My parents are dead and they're STILL better parents than yours."_

_Meredith flew into a rage, slamming Kezia onto a desk. The chubby ginger girl bolted from the room without turning back, running past several classrooms without so much as going into one for help._

"_Where did you hear that?!"_

"_Your brother, he talks a lot."_

"_My brother is sixteen!"_

"_He's an assistant in my clairvoyance class."_

_Suddenly Kezia flew up off the desk, her body slamming into the sealing. Meredith's telekinesis held her firm and unrelenting, compressing her ribs until one let out an audible snap. The girl's friends began shifting uncomfortably._

"_Um…Merry…Maybe we should put her down now…"_

"_Yeah, Mrs. Juniper and our classmates will be here soon…"_

_Kezia mind was fuzzy. She couldn't breathe, the pain radiating throughout her body. She felt the panic, the rage at being beaten and abandoned by everyone she's ever known smothering her mind until she couldn't take it anymore._

"_ENOUGH!"_

_A surge of power._

_Meredith's head exploded, blood and grey matter covering the girls and the room._

The memory ends with the suffocating intensity of guilt, forcing Lili to scramble away from it before it can eject her from Kezia's mind. She wanders down several hallways in an attempt to shake the lingering feelings from the memory when she suddenly finds herself in front of two double doors. They seem to lead into a hospital room containing two beds, so she begins to cautiously push open the door.

A hand on her arm startles her, causing her to spin on her heel and slam into Raz.

"Raz!"

Without thinking she hugs him tightly. He hesitates before hugging her back, holding her gently.

"What did you find?..."

"Oh God Raz, it was her memory from the Academy."

"Ah, that one…"

She separates from him quickly.

"We have to find Kezia and the assassin!"

"I found him, but I didn't want to go in without you. Too risky, but Kezia is keeping an eye on him. Come on."

With that the two turn, sprinting down the corridor.


	8. PENANCE! PENANCE! PENANCE!

Exiting the building they find themselves in a large, open yard. Directly across from them is a courthouse, the building wrapped in chains and locks.

The assassin is inspecting the chains and can't see Kezia hidden around the corner watching him. Once she spots Raz and Lili approaching she steps out.

"Looking for something?"

The man glances at her from the corner of his eye. He must be of Japanese descent, because he favors it highly. He has slightly wild eyes and lets out an eerie laugh.

"Hello Ms. Kezia! I'm here to kill you, I hope you don't mind."

"What makes you think I'll let you kill me?"

"Well the others couldn't stop me, so I doubt you can!"

He opens his mouth and breathes out a yellow cloud. Kezia throws up her shield, blocking out the confusion gas with ease. Lili wonders how Kezia and Raz could make their shields that powerful.

Using pyrokinesis Raz ignites the gas. As the smoke clears Kezia is still standing in her shield, but the man is gone.

A loud, resounding clunk draws their attention to the chains.

"What a surprise! I thought I put the two of you down in the physical world!"

Kezia lunges for him, knocking him off of the side of the building. He sneers at her as a small amount of insanity leaks into his voice.

"It's too late~"

A loud bang startles them. Another resounds from inside the building, causing the rest of the chains to fall to the ground as a muffled voice chants inside. Slowly the doors squeal open to reveal what was closed off behind them.

"PENANCE! PENANCE! PENANCE!"

It's a massive woman, the Lady Justice statue. Her eyes are covered in a blindfold and she's holding the scale, easily standing at three stories tall. Kezia's eyes grow wide and the man use the distraction to throw her off.

"Oh no you don't!"

Lili grabs him with her telekinesis, throwing him on the ground. He just keeps laughing as he stands and breathes out more gas.

"Hang on!"

Raz sweeps Lili up in his arms, covering them both in his shield to keep the gas out. It's filling the area and making it nearly impossible to see. A bead of sweat rolls down Raz's face.

"This guy is powerful. I don't think I can fight and sustain the shield, and Kezia may be having the same problem."

"I don't know of any confusion specialists that are this powerful…"

"I hope he's the only one they have…"

Raz begins running, trying to locate Kezia. He can hear what sounded like a fight, but has no idea where.

"Lili, can you use your telekinesis to throw us up on the roof of the courthouse? We need to get above the gas."

She nods, launching them upwards. On the roof they find Kezia looking around frantically.

"Oh good, you two are alright!"

"Where is that creature?"

"PENANCE! PENANCE! PENANCE!"

It rises up above the gas, swinging its scales at them. They barely manage to jump out of the way in time but can't retaliate before it sinks out of sight again. Raz scratches his stubble thoughtfully.

"This isn't going to be easy…"

"If we could find the assassin and take him out then the gas would stop, right?"

"Yes, but how to find him…"

Kezia is breathing hard. She doesn't look well and Lili, who is closest to her, catches her elbow to steady her.

"Hey, are you ok?"

"No…I see what he's doing. He's going in and releasing the things people have hidden deep inside their minds in hopes it will drive them mad. His other targets where all dead from self-inflicted injuries due to this method and using confusion on them."

"What bothers you most is guilt, isn't it?"

"Yes and if this goes on for too long-"

"PENANCE! PENANCE! PENANCE!"

They leap out of the way of another attack, once again failing to strike before it slithers back out of sight. Kezia moves sluggishly.

"Damn…The gas is starting to affect me mentally. It's making me numb."

Raz calls out to them as it falls below the gas again.

"I have an idea! Follow my lead!"

"PENANCE! PENANCE! PENANCE!"

The thing comes back up, but this time Raz is ready. He spins with surprising speed and hits the side of its head with a PSI-blast, knocking the blindfold off. It screams and collapses below the gas again.

Lili shudders.

"Ok that thing is really creepy!"

"I got it!"

They both go to Kezia's side. She's slumped on her knees, unblinking.

"Clairvoyance, that's brilliant!"

"Five o'clock!"

Raz shoots a PSI blast and Lili stricks out with her telekinesis in a kind of psychic punch. They both make contact with Lady Justice, sending her tumbling backwards flat on her back. Her fall pushes just enough gas away for Raz to spot the assassin, who he snatches up with his own telekinesis causing the man to stop drooling out the substance. Kezia rises to her feet slowly, regaining some of her senses as a bit of the gas clears.

The man scowls.

"You can't stop the inevitable!"

He inhales, ready to produce more, when Kezia uses her levitation to get to him. She places a shield around him, trapping him and the gas inside it.

"It's all yours guys!"

Raz and Lili turn as Lady Justice begins to stand, snarling the same thing at them over and over again.

"PENANCE! YOU DESERVE PUNISHMENT! TERMINATION!"

The word sticks Lili. Termination…that's what happens to dangerous psychics who lose control of their abilities, like poor Dogen. Once the higher ups decide someone is too dangerous and out of control to rehabilitate they are were "terminated". She doesn't know what happens to people that are terminated, and something tells her she doesn't want to. All she knows is that they always disappeared without a trace.

But if that was the case with Kezia, then why was she still here?

Another attack silences her thoughts. Jumping out of the way of the scales she slaps the thing sideways with her telekinesis while Raz continues to blast her, pushing her back around to the front of the courthouse. Raz slides to a stop in front of her as she finally steps before the open doors.

"Kezia has already buried her demons, now get back in there!"

With that he releases a massive PSI blast, sending Lady Justice flying back into her prison. Lili uses her powers to wind the chains back around it and snap the locks into their rightful places. Kezia lets out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you…now everyone out!"

Raz, Lili, and the assassin are ejected from her mind, though she shoves the man out with enough force to make him stumble backwards physically. Raz is on him in seconds, knocking him out with a single well-placed blow.


	9. My Old Friends

Lili exits the break room with a sigh. They had brought the assassin back to HQ, where he's being held in an interrogation room. They have him securely strapped down to a chair, his back forced straight and his head held firmly in a helmet designed to stop psychics from using their abilities. So far it's been three hours and they had nothing.

She sips her coffee and walks around the corner where she spots someone familiar.

"Kitty? Is that you?"

"Oh…hello Lili…"

"I haven't seen you in a long time, what brings you here?"

"The guy you arrested…they said he's an assassin…"

Her lips start quivering and she bursts into tears. Lili stares at her awkwardly for a moment, unsure of what to do. Thankfully one of the security officers comes and gently leads her into a room down the hall to calm down.

"Poor Kitty…"

She turns to see Raz, who has probably just left the interrogation room.

"What happened to her?"

All Lili knows about Kitty was that she didn't join the Psychonauts, but instead became a fashion designer. Raz had mentioned in one of his letters that she married one of the agents later on.

"The guy we have in there? That's Harley Bubai."

"Wait…he isn't…"

"He's Kitty's brother, but for her it opened old wounds as well as new ones. Her husband Rider was killed in the last attack. Now she has to cope with knowing that not only is her brother a criminal, but he is also partially responsible for her husband's death."

Lili swallows hard.

"Oh no…Has he said anything?"

"Not really. He keeps spouting some nonsense about him being one of the five pillars that will liberate the world and bring power to the one true ruler."

"That's…ominous…"

"Extremely. I think I know where we can get some answers though. Can you go get Kezia for me? If I see that man's face one more time I might tear it off."

She agrees and heads that way. Raz decides he needs some fresh air, which in reality means he needs a smoke, and starts for the entrance. A voice calling to him from behind stops him.

"Raz! Hey man, I heard you were back and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to flag you down in time!"

He turns, seeing that familiar face and genuinely smiling for the first time all day.

"Bobby Zilch! God, how long has it been?"

Yes, Bobby. Chloe had managed to get through to him at camp, and the message seemed to be further driven home by the brain fiasco. Bobby soon outgrew his childishness and Chloe her spaceman phase, but she still loved astronomy. That was how Bobby found his calling: building and maintaining telescopes as well as related equipment, which he now did professionally for Chloe and her team. They both joined the Academy four years after Raz and Lili had, but graduated at the same time since they weren't taking any training classes. Raz and Bobby had even ended up as roommates and, unexpectedly, became good friends. Raz was sad to admit that he hadn't really stayed in touch the last few years.

"Too long, how have you been?"

"Fine. How have you and Chloe been?"

"We've been great, though Chloe's been really moody lately. She's mad her boss made her take maternity leave. I swear, if she could give birth charting the next sector she would."

"I hope she doesn't try to name your first kid after a star."

"Too late Raz, too late. I don't mind though, it makes her happy."

Raz smiles. It's about time he ran into an old friend that ended up happy.

"Hey, Raz? I heard Lili is back. Have you two made up yet?"

His face falls and he looks away.

"No…we haven't…"

Bobby shakes his head and pats Raz's shoulder.

"Well, I was hoping for better news for this…but, maybe it will cheer you up anyway."

He withdraws a small box from his pocket. Raz's eyes grow wide.

"No way…"

"I saw you throw it out the window after your fight. I figured I'd hold onto it for you until I could give it back."

"I…Thanks Bobby. I really regretted throwing that away."

He palms the box and stuffs it snuggly into his pants pocket just before Lili and Kezia appear around the corner. Bobby waves at him before leaving.

"Good luck on your mission, Razputin. You and the girls are smart, you'll find out what's going on out there."


	10. The Five Pillars

Raz drives slowly through the residential areas, knowing exactly where he's going. The radio plays throughout the car.

~AND THAT WAS THE NEW HIT SINGLE _OBLONGATA _BY FLOATING FLAME! WILL THEY EVER STOP THEIR CHART TOPPING SPREE?!~

Lili whistles appreciatively.

"Sounds like Phoebe and Quentin are doing pretty well."

Raz laughs, remembering how the two were back at camp.

"I'm just glad they finally settled on a name. Ah, there it is."

He pulls into the driveway of a rather large, nice house. The three approach the door and knocked lightly.

Sasha answers, pushing his sunglasses back up his nose.

"Razputin! What a pleasant surprise, come in."

The three enter, sitting on a long couch. Out of everyone Raz has known over the years, Sasha and Milla are very close to him.

Back at the Academy Raz had become Sasha's assistant on many of his projects, working with his team. The other team members used to tease him and call him "Little Nein" but he didn't really mind. In return, Sasha tutored him for free in classes he wasn't doing well in. Which were mostly classes that had nothing to do being a Psychonaut, like English. Well…really Milla did a majority of the tutoring, mostly because Sasha had the attention span of a flea when it came to anything other than his projects or work.

That was the reason Raz was so surprised when Sasha asked him to be his best man. He'd managed to get his nose out of work long enough to propose to Milla, back when Raz and Lili were sixteen. The two had a lot of problems to work through concerning their pasts but in the end they made it work. Raz always wondered if Sasha took Milla's last name because of what had happened to him or because Milla only had married female siblings and the name was dying. Either way they seemed really happy. Lili had been a bridesmaid, and he vividly remembered how beautiful he thought she looked when they danced together that night. The future had looked so bright then.

Right now Sasha is keeping up with his projects, but Milla is mostly just teaching at the Academy. Neither one of them are doing any fieldwork until the kids got older.

Milla enters the room with two young boys in tow, wiping her hands on her apron. Two little girls run across the ceiling above them and Raz catches them with his telekinesis, plopping them on his knees and hugging them. All four kids favor Milla mostly, but the boys have Sasha's personality.

"Raz! Lili and Kezia too, it's so good to see you all!"

Raz smiles brightly at her. The girls were giggling and trying to steal his goggles.

"Uncle Raz! Uncle Raz!"

"Are you staying for dinner?"

"Look! Kezia is here too!"

"Who is your other friend?"

"Is she staying too?!"

"Will you play with us again?"

"Yeah! We wanna levi-race again!"

"Nooooo this time we want to be psychic bears!"

"Aww we did that last time…"

Raz laughs, tickling them before setting them down. They continue beaming at him while awaiting a reply.

"Not today girls. I promise I'll be back soon though, and we'll play then. Right now I'm here to see your parents."

The boys, who are much mellower than their younger sisters, only give Raz quick hugs before they take the girls outside. Once all four Vodello children are safely outside playing, Milla joins her husband on the loveseat across from them.

"What do you guys need?"

"Well, we caught the assassin, but I'm not entirely sure what his nonsense is about. I figured Cruller would know, since I recall him spouting something like that when his personalities were split, but he passed away years ago."

Sasha scratches his chin, obviously intrigued.

"Alright, let's have it then."

"I am one of the five pillars that will liberate the world and bring power to the one true ruler."

Sasha and Milla glance at each other with a frown. He answers first.

"Yes, that's an old story. It's one of the old myths in the psychic world. To summarize, the story is about five psychics who each represent one of the traditional powers. They believe the world is corrupted, and want to put their king in power. In the end it describes the five pillars holding up the world for their ruler so he can make it anew."

"That means there are four of them left then…"

"Tell me, what does this assassin specialize in?"

"Confusion. He was powerful too."

"He hasn't shown any proficiency in anything else?"

"He didn't when we fought him, but since he's locked up in HQ we can't exactly test him and see."

"If he trained all his life in only one field then it would make him extremely powerful. I fear what the other four will be like…"

Sasha stands, muttering something to himself as he gathers his coat.

"Milla, darling, watch our children. I need to investigate this further. If I can get any information from him, it could prove beneficial."

Before anyone else can reply the door clicks shut as Sasha exits. Milla sighs and just places her hands on her hips with a laugh.

"I couldn't keep that man away from his research if I tried. He could have at least taken his dinner with him before he left."

Raz shakes his head and pats Milla's arm.

"That would be too easy. Then you wouldn't get the opportunity to worry about him when he passes out from not eating enough."

She groans and rolls her eyes.

"Nine months pregnant with my second set of twins and that idiot is hospitalized for blacking out and hitting his head. Nearly put me into labor right then."

"Do you need any help?"

"Oh, thank you, Raz, but I have it under control. I'll finish up dinner and when the kids are fed I'll leave the boys in charge and take something up for that crazy man of mine. You guys need to get out there and catch those weirdos."

She gives all three of them hugs as they stand and walk for the door. Raz hesitates in the doorframe, listening to the sounds of the children playing in the backyard. After a few seconds he hugs Milla a second time before following the girls to the car.


	11. A Rift Between Friends

After a day of fruitless interrogation and investigation, the three went back to their hotel empty handed. Lili enters the room adjacent to Raz and Kezia's room to sleep for the night.

Around two in the morning Lili is awoken by the sounds of muffled screaming and thrashing from the next room over.

"Oh you've GOT to be KIDDING me!"

Throwing her robe on over her pajamas she stomps out of her room and over to their door, about to give them a piece of her mind when she pauses. The yelling sounds…painful, not the kind of noises she was expecting. She places her ear against the door in an attempt to hear more of what Kezia was saying over the sound of Raz's voice.

"RAZ! RAZ, WAKE UP!"

"K-Kay…Sorry."

"That's…the worst one so far…"

"I know…"

"Raz, we have to do something about these nightmares."

"You have them too. Ever since…We both have them."

"Raz…I haven't had one in a long time…Please, let me do more than just wake you up when you can't wake yourself…"

Taking a step away from the door Lili tightens the belt of her robe and takes in a shaky breath. With that she walks down towards the hotel fountain to give her friends back their privacy, no longer to silent witness to the events unfolding inside.

Raz gets out of bed, slicking back his sweat soaked hair with his already damp palms. His body shakes as he paces around the room in an effort to cool his heated skin.

"Raz, I know this isn't what you want to hear-"

"Then don't say it."

Slipping out of the bed herself, Kezia approaches him.

"Raz…relax…"

"Yeah…"

"Look at me."

He pauses before his eyes slowly meet hers and he frowns deeply. That gray…how he hates that color.

"Raz. Listen to me. You have to make up with Lili."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Bobby told me about the fight you two had all those years ago. That's what's torturing you."

"You don't know anything, Kay!"

"I know you! We're the only two in this, we've lived this together! You can't keep this from her, Raz, it'll destroy you!"

"I can't tell her!"

Stepping forward she seizes his cheeks in her palms, forcing him to stand still.

"Yes, you can! Raz…please. I hate seeing you like this. I know you love still love Lili, no matter what you say."

"It's been a long time, people change."

"Change isn't necessarily a bad thing. Lili wouldn't hate me so much if she didn't feel something for you."

"Lili doesn't hate you…"

"Raz. If looks could kill, I'd have been dead when we first met."

"I…I can't tell her, Kezia. I just…can't…"

Her hands drop to his shoulders, her thumbs making slow circles on them.

"You can. You have to if you want to fix things between the two of you. She doesn't understand why you're different, Raz, you have to tell her. If she still loves you like I know she does, she'll understand."

Raz takes in an unsteady breathe, bracing his hands on her shoulders and his forehead on the crown of her head.

"What if she doesn't like the man I've become?"

"She will. I know she will."

He pulls away from her, giving her shoulders a squeeze.

"Thanks Kay. Don't wait up for me."

Turning he grabs something out of his coat pocket and exits, leaving Kezia to listen to his retreating footsteps. Looking down at her hands she swallows the lump in her throat.

"I know she will. I do…"

She continues to stand there a bit longer before she turns, stripping the sweaty blankets off the bed before replacing them with new ones.

Raz walks outside, pulling a cigarette from the tin to calm his nerves. He walks down towards the parking lot lost in thought just seconds before Lili comes back up the path. She taps on Raz and Kezia's door lightly.

Kezia opens the door, fitted sheet in hand. Inside Lili can see the original bedclothes bunched in the corner.

"Is Raz here?"

"You just missed him, I'm sorry."

She starts to turn away when Lili reaches out for her.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"I want to apologize. I really thought you were sleeping with Raz, I'm sorry."

"O-Oh, did you…hear any of that?"

"I didn't know Raz had nightmares. Here, let me help you with that."

Lili takes the sheet from Kezia and goes towards the bed, helping her make it. They chat as they work.

"How long has he been like that?"

"A few years now, I'm not really sure."

"I'm sorry I eavesdropped, but you said something about him not being able to wake himself?"

"Yes, it's a… an odd condition. If no one is there to wake him he could lose his mind in the dream."

"How horrible…no wonder he's been acting so different…"

Lili leans against the wall thoughtfully.

"Hey, Kezia? Can I ask you a weird question?"

"I don't see why not."

"Why hasn't Raz gotten married yet?"

"What do you mean?"

"Raz loves kids, we always wanted a family. I was paranoid I'd come back and he'd be happily married, but he's so…different."

"Why didn't you get married?"

"What?"

"You said 'we'."

"I did, didn't I?"

"Why didn't you?"

Lili stares at the ground without answering.

"You know, I bet if you used that Herbaphony skill of yours you'd find him wandering around here."

"Thank you."

"If I don't take care of that mess of a man, no one will. Go to him."

She turns and hurries outside, leaning her ear to the bushes momentarily. A few seconds later she starts down the path to the parking lot. She calls out to him and he turns, the speech he had been preparing in his head stopping in his throat as he shoves the box into his pajama pants pocket.

"Um…Raz?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

His eyes widen and he gapes like a suffocating fish. She knew? How? Had she overheard them talking? He wasn't exactly being quiet…

"I didn't know you had nightmares. I'm sorry I was so rude to Kezia for sharing a room with you."

"Oh…Yeah, I uh…I didn't want to tell you."

"You should have told me! I wouldn't have thought any less of you."

"I'm glad you don't. Thank you."

They both stand, uncertain of what to say next until Raz breaks the silence.

"Lili, there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

Her voice is uncharacteristically soft, her gaze locked onto his.

"I…I'm sorry about what happened before graduation, Lili."

He lets out the breath he was holding. It isn't the entirety of what he wanted to say, but it was close enough for now.

"I'm sorry too. Truthfully, I don't even remember what we fought about."

"Neither do I, actually."

"Why are we both so stubborn?"

"It's just how we are, I guess."

She takes a step closer to him.

"Listen, Raz, I-"

The sound of an alert makes them both jump, the moment ruined. Raz yanks to tablet from his pocket and reads the flashing message on the screen.


	12. Imminent Attack

**High Alert, Maximum Security Threat**

**Attention Psychonauts,**

**An airship has been spotted heading for the coast towards HQ. We believe the other "Pillars" are coming for a final attack. All agents, no matter your current status, must return to HQ immediately. This is not a drill. **

The three pack into their car, returning to HQ. With Raz driving they really should have gotten there long before anyone else.

"Raz, WHAT are you doing?"

For the last hour he'd been staring at the steering wheel, rejecting any efforts from the girls to make him move or start the car.

"I don't know. Something is wrong, something I can't stop."

"Are you getting that feeling again?"

"I don't know what it is, I just think we need to wait."

"Raz, please, we need to go. HQ called us back."

"I know, Lili, just…give me a minute…"

He finally turns the key, the car purring to a start and rolling out of its space. They head back to HQ at a pace slower than Lili and Kezia would like. Pulling to a stop in the lot the three of them look up at the building uncomfortably.

Raz steps out of the car, glancing at the windows.

"Something is wrong. We're expecting an attack; this place should be crawling with agents."

"Is that…gas?"

They look to where Kezia is pointing. An all too familiar gas is leaking from a partially open side door, held open by an arm. Pushing it open more results in a stronger stream of the stuff.

"Lili, come here. Shields up."

He wraps his arm around her to steady her and surrounds them with a shield, Kezia putting up her own. With that they enter the building.

"My God…Milla? MILLA!"

Every single Psychonaut is lying unconscious on the ground. Kezia spots Milla collapsed in the hall and rushes to her in Raz's place. He watches with fear in his eyes as Kezia pulls her into her shield she shakes her, calling out her name.

"She's alive!"

"Wake her up! Hurry, we don't know what happened!"

"Raz! She isn't waking up!"

"What?! That…that can't be, an outside force should be enough!"

Raz and Lili flinch as Kezia slaps Milla, receiving not even the flutter of eyelashes at the blow. She lets the older woman slip from her stunned grasp back into the smog and they rush down halls, stopping occasionally to shake people they know to no avail. The three scream and practically beat people in an effort to get someone, anyone, to wake up. Raz is huddled over Bobby when Kezia yells from the interrogation room.

"Raz, I think you'll want to see this…"

Inside is Harley, his head lulled back slightly and his eyes rolled into his skull. The gas is thickest there and the helmet meant to restrain his abilities is cracked in several pieces around chair. The only thing left of it is the frame holding his head in place.

"I…I can't believe it. He broke through the helmet."

"It came at a cost."

Lili points to his mouth, which has foam still clinging to the corner.

"He must have had a seizure. Unable to move his head, he drowned in his own saliva."

"At least the source of the gas is gone…How long will this take to dissipate?"

"We don't have the time. Look."

They all glance out into the hall at a screen across in the other room. On it is the time ticking down before the airship arrives.

"Even if we open every door, window, and vent, we can't beat that timer."

"Everyone will die if we try to wake them up."

They exit the building with heavy hearts. Raz walks over to their car and slams his fist angrily into the hood.

"DAMMIT! The whole thing, it was all their plan. They wanted us to catch him and we FELL FOR IT!"

He bashes the hood with a series of punches, the force caving it inwards. Kezia approaches him gently, gesturing for Lili to following.

"Raz…If you hadn't stopped us, we would be in there sleeping through our imminent deaths as well."

"We don't have time to get the European division here either. All we can do is meet them at the coast. Maybe we can stop them."

"We can still fight. The three of us can stop them."

Lili lays her hand over his, drawing his gaze.

"It wouldn't be the first time we took on impossible odds."

He breathes deeply, nodding at her.

"Let's go."

The morning light is spreading across the beach, greeting the last line of defense for the Psychonauts. Slowly Kezia stands, tapping them on the shoulder.

"We should eat something. I'll be back."

Within seconds Raz and Lili are alone, sitting side by side on the beach watching the sunrise. She rubs her eyes tiredly.

"Any other day and sitting here like this would be nice."

"This feels so…final, almost."

"Don't say that! We'll fight, just like we always do."

"Lili, I need to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Something happened a year after you left for Europe, something the Psychonaut's aren't proud of."

"Raz…you're hands are trembling."

He attempts to retrieve a cigarette only to drop the tin, the contents spilling into the sand.

"Raz? What is it? What happened?"

"I want you to know. If something were to happen to me and I'd never told you why I've been so different, I wouldn't forgive myself. I've avoided you for so long."

"I understand, just tell me. Please."

"It was an experiment. A horrible experiment."


	13. Hell On Earth

"I was told about a secret program, one only the best and the brightest young Psychonauts could participate in. It was a huge secret, so well hidden that all we knew is that it was a program we had to be tested for. They put me through every test they could think of over the course of the next few months after that. Physical, energy, psychological, power, skill, critical thinking, everything. In the end there were only ten of us left.

They took us into a hospital ward on a maximum security floor. We thought we were being sent in for more testing, we didn't expect a thing. They put me under and when I woke up I realized something was wrong. Horribly wrong.

All ten of us, without our knowledge or consent, had our skull caps replaced with Psitanium plates. They'd come up with the idea that by amplifying our powers they could make super soldiers, a whole new line of powerful Psychonauts who didn't have to have a specialization because they'd have the capacity to do everything. For weeks I felt as though my brain were about to explode, the pain so intense I tried to rip the stitches out and remove it myself. That was the first part of the nightmare.

Half of the others didn't make it through the amplification process. They either died of fatal heart attacks or from a brain hemorrhage. Those who didn't slowly adjusted to the new power they possessed. No one adjusted well, but the scientists thought the only side effect was our eye color changing.

We discovered the plate had an intense effect on the sleeping mind. It amplified everything, including our dreams. Unfortunately, that also included our nightmares. They were amplified to the point they bypassed our own consciousness, trapping us into a nightmare we couldn't wake up from ourselves. Three of the others went crazy from it. Two killed themselves, but one escaped. Did you ever hear about the Uptown Massacre? That was him, using his out of control abilities to mindlessly slaughter everyone he could get his hands on. They caught him and terminated him, but by then people were noticing something was off. I think they passed it off as a crazed serial killer or a terror attack to the public somehow.

It was then I figured out we'd been tricked. Your father didn't know about the experiment and one after the other the scientists began disappearing, put on trial as criminals. Determined to continue their work they took me somewhere, I'm not sure where, and stuck me in a padded cell with a young girl. It was Kezia.

I'd heard about her before, but I'd never met her personally. The plates had changed us so much…I was extremely aggressive and prone to fits of anger. I think I killed some of them when they tried to come in and get us, but I can't remember well. Most of it was a red haze to me. Kezia had depression so severe she either begged me to kill her or tried something herself.

The turning point was a single night. Kezia woke me up screaming in the throes of nightmare, so I woke her. She cried on my shoulder for hours after that. Later she did the same for me, and after a while it became the only peace of mind we had. We started talking more and learning about each other. She told me she had nothing to live for and I told her I'd give her something, we just had to get out alive. I'm not sure exactly how long it had been when the Psychonauts finally freed us and brought us back. They decided it would be cruel to separate us after that, so they partnered us. It took months of training and therapy before we were fit for the real world again. In the end, they were right; Kezia and I are probably the two most powerful Psychonauts in the world. The price just…wasn't worth it, though. Your father made sure all the research into Psitanium advancements were scrapped and then had the other participants weeded out. Laws were put in place to make sure that never happened again.

We weren't the same after that, even after we'd recovered and started functioning more like ourselves again. I was afraid that if I tried to bring you back into my life I'd hurt you. I only feel comfortable being around you again now because it's been so long and I'm as well adjusted as I can get."

He stares out over the ocean as the waves lap at the shore, silence spreading between them. For Raz, it was the first time in a long time he felt completely free of the weight pressing heavily on his shoulders. Even if it only lasted for a moment, it was good to feel like his old self again.


	14. The Last Stand

The sand shifts beside him and he feels Lili's arms wrap around his neck. He doesn't move, uncertain of what to do.

"I don't mind."

"You aren't afraid of me at all?"

"No? Why would I be?"

"I'm not normal, Lili. I'll never be the same person I was before."

"That's not true. I see a lot of the old you along with the new. I just wish I could have been there for you."

He sighs and lets his head fall into the crook of her neck, a content smile breaking across his face.

"I guess I wasted a lot of time, huh?"

"Well, I'm here now. We can make up for lost time."

"I hate to interrupt you two, but we should probably eat this food before the airship gets too close."

They jump and separate, looking up at Kezia and then into the sky past the island in the gulf. The airship is almost close enough to engage. They sit and eat as they watch it growing larger on the horizon.

"So, what do we do when it gets close enough?"

"Wing it I guess. We have no idea what we're up against."

"No matter what happens, we have to stop that ship from reaching land."

Raz stands, pulling his goggles in place over his eyes. With that he turns and helps both women out of the sand.

"This could be the last thing we ever do. Kezia, thank you for the food, and Lili..."

He brushes a strand of her behind her ear, prompting her to swat his hand away.

"Don't you get sappy with me, Razputin, we've had enough of that for one pre-battle chat."

"Alright, alright. Regardless, thank you both. Now, let's save the Psychonauts!"

He grabs Lili, levitating the two of them up into the air and towards the airship with Kezia trailing behind them. They are within a few feet of it when the side door opens an extremely tall man leaps out with another in tow. Raz backpedals as the strongest telekinetic force he ever felt grabs him, flinging Lili from his arms and dragging him towards the two figures as the plummet towards the island. Kezia shoots downwards, grabbing Lili and hauling her back up to the airship.

They watch Raz collide with the small island, sand and foliage being thrown into the air by the impact.

"Do you think he's going to be alright with all that water around him?"

"I'm sure he will be, Lili. We don't have time to go down with him."

"Is that what I think it is?"

Under the airship is a massive hatch. The girls look at each other anxiously and get aboard the vessel.

"Hmm, it seems Harley didn't get all of them."

Kezia's arm suddenly flips behind her, wrenched back by an unseen force. With a yell she throws up her shield, throwing the assailant off and into the wall with enough force to put a dent in the metal. She rolls her shoulder with a pop and takes a step closer to Lili.

"Show yourself."

Suddenly there is a man in front of them. The man is ripped, muscles bulging under black bodysuit as dark as his hair. Green eyes seem to laugh at them from the sharp contoured face of the man now standing before them.

The sound of applause draws their cautious eyes to two more women wearing the same kind of bodysuit coming from down the darkened corridor of the airship. One woman is tall and much too thin, her head shaved bald and covered in tribal tattoos that branch down her neck and vanish under her collar. Her face is stoic, no emotion reflecting in her almost black eyes. A shorter, stockier woman with only one brown eye and short, spiked brown hair is clapping as she approaches.

"Good show pretties, I see we have a decent turnout despite our best efforts. The King expected Mr. Aquato and his little Galochio pet would show up. Ms. Zanotto, you are a pleasant surprise. I would love to see your head on a pike in the wreckage of the Psychonaut's Headquarters. That would send a most wonderful message. Tell me, did Harley survive his little suicide mission?"

Lili and Kezia don't reply, simply watching the three cautiously.

"Hmm, I will assume he perished as expected. No matter. Now, shall we get on with your untimely deaths, ladies?"

Back on the island Raz drops the shield he'd thrown up, falling into the hole on the dirt created by his fall. Standing he takes in the figure before him with bewilderment. The taller man is bowed down beside a much shorter man. Two men Raz thought he'd never meet again.

"How long has it been, Razputin? Too long, I'm sure. I've been preparing in the shadows for the moment I could create this world anew."

"_Maloof?_"


	15. The Battle In The Air

Lili dodges to the side and the man once again goes invisible. A massive hand wraps around her neck and throws her up against the metallic wall of the ship's interior. She grabs him with her telekinesis and flings him into the ceiling, following up with a downward smash into the floor. He breaks her hold and vanishes, leaving her to look around herself with her abilities at the ready. A fist smashes into her face, sending her careening backwards and laying her flat on the ground. She manages to flip over onto her side just as a foot stomps beside her and plant a kick in the back on his knee, knocking him off balance long enough for her to regain her footing.

Wiping the blood from her swelling lip she puts her back to the wall, looking for any sign of the invisible man. A creak next to her betrays his presence and she seizes him with her telekinesis, bashing him repeatedly against the wall with as much force as she can muster. He slips from her grasp and is behind her in second, an arm looping around her throat and cutting off her oxygen. The flexed muscle crushes against her windpipe as she claws at his arm, leaving rivulets of bloody gouges in his flesh that go ignored.

"You know why I joined the King? I _love _killing people. Feeling the life and the fight slowly drain out of them…it's a rush. _Especially_ when it's from weak little girls like you. There's something so addictive about choking a pretty girl to death."

She cringes as she feels his tongue ghost over her ear, finally getting a good hold on his arms. With a groan of exertion she flips the much larger man over and pins him with the crushing force of her telekinesis. She coughs dryly, sucking down the air she'd previously been starved of.

"You know why I joined the Psychonauts? To take down sick bastards like you!"

Channeling her anger into her ability she continues pressing down on him, listening the crack of his ribs under the force.

Kezia steps backwards as the bald woman lunges at her, her body incased in fire. The searing flames scorching the metal as she brushed against it. She hits the woman with a PSI blast only for it to hit the white-blue flames uselessly and dissipate in the heat. The shield also proves completely impractical when Kezia puts it on the block a blow only for the hand to force it was through, the fire licking at the skin of her stomach and burning her intensely. She stumbles back holding her blackened crisp of an abdomen as she avoids another punishing blow. Grunting at the pain radiating from the cracking burn she turns herself invisible, slipping from the path of the hit.

The bald woman begins muttering to herself, her voice low and quiet.

"Here little sheep. It's time to be washed in holy fire."

Kezia blinks back into view for only a moment, slamming a confusion bomb into the woman's face. She stumbles backwards, not extinguished but obviously very disoriented. Kezia stops and listens to the wall a moment before taking a single step back. As the other woman regains her senses she charges her only for Kezia to PSI blast the wall before her. Steam spews from the crack on the wall, hitting the woman square in the face. She collapses, screaming and clutching at the red and heavily blistered skin of her face and shoulder. She scratches at her eyes in a desperate attempt to pull apart her eyelids, now fused to her eyeballs from the scalding water. Effectively blinded the woman lashes out with her fire powers, prompting Lili to drop to the ground and free the man. Kezia grabs her friend and draws her from the crazed woman's flames to a relatively safe distance.

Kezia shrieks as an invisible hand grabs a piece of the loose burned skin from her stomach, ripping it from her body and leaving behind a gaping hole of raw flesh.

"How sad, such sweet pale skin is usually delectable."

Lili desperately throws the man aside and looks over at her friend in horror.

"I'm fine, I promise."

They look out to their opponents when Lili gets and idea.

"Kay, follow my lead."

She steps forward, waiting for the man to try to grab her. When he does she snatches him up and throws him into his fiery friend. She barely manages to extinguish herself before burning him too badly. Kezia grabs the bald woman, smashing her into him and pushing against Lili's telekinesis. The force begins easily snapping the bones of both enemies, especially the smaller woman's.

Suddenly, a shot of energy tears between Kezia and Lili, barely touching Kezia's arm and blowing a massive hole in the airship behind them. Kezia slowly brings her hand up to touch the missing portion of her upper arm, blood spewing from the wound around the exposed bone at an alarming rate. They both drop the opponents and look at the stocky brunette who'd just blasted between them. She takes a step forward and uses the toe of her boot to scoot the nearly unconscious bodies of her comrades out of her way.

"Really, you two are useless. I really shouldn't use my PSI blasts while onboard."

Lili looks from Kezia's wound to the huge hole in the airship in terror.

"N-No PSI blast should be capable of that level of destruction!"

"Very right Ms. Zanotto. Any _normal _PSI blast would have completely missed Ms. Galochio and only made a small hole in the hull. My ability is less a blast and more a…canon? I couldn't risk igniting the explosives meant to be dropped on your Headquarters so I was allowing my companions the honor of killing the two of you. It seems I will have to settle for ashes instead of a pike my lovelies, since you've seen firsthand what happens to flesh when exposed to the very edge of the blast I'm sure you've realized a direct hit would prove completely fatal."

Kezia places her hand on Lili's shoulder, whispering something in her ear. Lili barely has time to register the sentence before Kezia flings her out of the hole in the hull of the airship. Kezia, now alone, turns to the powerful woman before her with energy crackling dangerously around her wounded body.

"You shouldn't piss off an unstable psychic."


	16. The False King

"Maloof?"

"I'm glad you recognized me, Raz. Mikhail was convinced he'd have to beat the memory into you."

Raz looks over the man. He still looks like the Maloof from camp, very short and baby faced. The expensive black suit, gold signet ring, and large cigar between his lips look fairly ridiculous on his small form. His eyes trail over to who is, apparently, the same Mikhail from camp. The older man, tall and muscled wearing a coat made of a bear skin, looks nothing like the old Mikhail. This man's grizzled appearance and untamed facial hair accented by a set of wild looking eyes were certainly new features.

"Mind telling me what the hell is going on here? Why are you attacking the Psychonauts? What's with this weird Kingship thing?"

"Very good questions, old friend! Since you were the one who returned my brain to me all those years ago, I'd be happy to explain."

Maloof sits back on a downed tree and snaps his fingers. Mikhail plops down on the ground to his right cross-legged.

"I'm sure you remember the events of Whispering Rock well, Razputin, considering you were the savior who liberated us from our captures. That event made me realize something. It made me realize how much I _HATE_ psychics. The campers, my own father, Morceau Morry Oleander- You remember what happened to old Oleander, don't you?"

"He's dead. He left the camp in his vehicle and two hours away it blew up."

"You want to know something, Raz? The ONLY person you didn't save in Whispering Rock? It was Oleander."

"I don't understand."

"Oh Raz, so naive. You never even considered anything was off, did you? Back when you were rescuing and re-braining all the campers, you checked up on us a couple of times. You remember where you found Mikhail and I, right? Yes, it was…unfortunate. I had tampered with the man's car simply in the hopes of keeping him around long enough for Mikhail to teach him a lesson. I hadn't expected my rewiring to prove so efficient. I had a realization after that. Why take revenge on psychics when I could simply kill them all?"

"I never even considered-"

"Because you were too busy saving everyone, right? Tell me, how did you feel when you killed a human for the first time? Did you feel regret or guilt? Maybe you felt relieved?"

"I felt disgusted with myself."

"That's the difference between you and I. I see death as necessary. Oleander's murder? That was absolute justice. At the age of seven, I had a taste of that justice. I realized then it wasn't enough to simply hate psychics. No, I had to do something about them. All of them."

"So you planned a genocide?!"

"You make it sound so criminal."

"Why? Why kill everyone? What kind of demented justice are you trying to accomplish?"

"Psychics are unnatural. They are human, yet they are powerful and they abuse that power. How many more out there have been like Oleander? I've kept a very, very good eye on the news the last few years. I know there have been more murderous, insane, and uncontrollable psychics over the years. It's time they were exterminated. Even the Psychonauts kill psychics they can't control. What is it called…termination? Though their effort is commendable, they simply cannot continue to exist and breed. Seeing them live among helpless man is disgusting."

"That's why we have the Psychonauts, to protect the people! Why use psychics to kill psychics? That makes no sense, you're one yourself!"

"I have shunned that evil part of myself. Mikhail, he has been so loyal to me I have granted him my forgiveness. The others, of course, are expendable."

"You knew Harley would die if he overexerted himself like that."

"Of course. Although I loathe the demonic powers present inside of me, I understand them just as I understand others. I simply used one pawn to make sure all the others stayed in their proper places."

"And what about the other three?"

"I will use them to kill the European division and instill myself as the ruler of the world."

"…And after that?"

"Hmm…I guess I will weed out and execute every single psychic in existence, and then sterilize every human carrying the genes. Then I will turn a purged and beautiful utopia over to humanity."

"You're insane!"

"Raz, my old friend, you must understand. Please? I was deeply hoping for you to join me. After all, I wouldn't be here today if you hadn't saved me when we were children. I owe you for all I have accomplished, thus I am willing to forgive you of your sinful lifestyle if you agree to join me on my crusade."

"No! Maloof, this is wrong. There are so many great people that are psychics. For every one person that's been out of control there have been twenty others that are just as wonderful as normal people! You can't define an entire group of people based entirely on only the bad ones, you have to judge every single person on the kind of person they are. I can't count the number of people unconscious in that building you're about to blow up! Mothers and fathers, adolescents just starting out, the elderly, there is every type of person in that building. You aren't fixing the world, Maloof, you're irreparably scaring it. There are fantastic, loving human beings in there!"

Maloof sighs, clicking his tongue and shaking his head on annoyance.

"Oh Raz. Simply bombing that building wouldn't leave enough of a mark to begin my reign. No, I made sure there are enough explosives on that aircraft the wipe clean the entire city and everyone in it. After all, how could I express my absolute rule without fear to force submission?"

"My God…You…You're a monster…"

"This world will be like a phoenix. From the ashes shall be born a society made anew, and I will be the only god it needs until it is ready to stand on its own."


	17. The Battle On The Island

In the blink of an eye Raz lets off a string of PSI blasts. As the air clears he sees Mikhail has moves Maloof to safety.

"Poor Razputin. I was really hoping you'd join me. Now Mikhail has to kill you."

Mikhail steps forward, shrugging off the bearskin coat to reveal a muscled body sporting only wrestling pants and boots. He cracks his knuckles as he approaches Raz.

"It has been long time since Razputin has seen Mikhail. In that time he wrestle many bears and now is bear himself."

The huge man flexes his body, a bear made of telekinetic energy leaping out from his body. Raz uses his own telekinetic hand to catch the thing by the jaws as the two fight for mental dominance.

"I have become bear myself. You were good friend, but it is time to die."

The bear tears the hand free, causing Raz to stumble backwards in pain from the shock of having the link torn asunder. He barely manages to throw up a shield as the thing crashes into him.

"I won't die here! I have people I love I have to protect!"

A pyrokinetic burst explodes from inside Raz's shield, throwing the bear backwards and making Mikhail's hold on it fizzle. The large man lets out a laugh that sounds half like a growl and half like a chuckle.

"This fight better than wrestling any bear! I knew Razputin be a good opponent! I will not hold back!"

The bear pounces at Raz, his fire covered hands catching the jaws and keeping it from biting his head off. The teeth cut his palms but the fire is doing its job in disrupting Mikhail's connection. With a grunt Raz begins overpowering the creation as the fire burns hotter until he can throw it back, giving himself an opening. He rushes forward, throwing a massive telekinetic punch at Mikhail. It impacts solidly with his body but doesn't even faze him. With a simple palm thrust Raz is hit with a force so strong he feels a couple of his ribs crack as he slides backwards across the sand. Standing he gasps for air and looks up with determination.

"I don't want to kill you, Mikhail."

"Big talk for little man with little bite."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

Raz closes his eyes, focusing all the energy in his body under his control. His eyes shoot open, and in an instant he is gone.

"Little man, you cannot hide forever!"

Mikhail looks at the sand, expecting to see Raz's footprints. When he doesn't see any he looks at Maloof in confusion. In the next instant a fiery blow hits him with such force and intensity it actually staggers Mikhail.

Maloof leaps to his feet.

"That's impossible! No matter how powerful you are, no one can use two abilities at once! That's impossible, who else is here?!"

He feels a breath slide icily across his cheek with Raz's next words.

"Out of all the psychics on the planet, I'm the most unnatural."

Mikhail grabs Raz and flings him repeatedly through several trees, but is quickly thrown off by a shield. Raz stands before them, bloody yet visible, breathing hard. Using his abilities like he is it's wearing him out and it's starting to show.

"Getting tired little man?"

"I'd watch my mouth if I were you."

He levitates a couple of inches off the ground and flies forward with incredible speed, channeling his physical speed into a pyrokinetic punch that makes Mikhail's head snap dangerously to the side. Enraged the man flings an incredibly powerful mental punch that Raz turns invisible and floats out of the way of easily. The force blows a massive crevice into the island that causing huge waves to assault the nearby coastline.

Raz continues to slip in and out of invisibility as he flies around. The two exchange blows until Mikhail finally manages to catch Raz, dangling him by the leg with his ability. By then Raz is showing signs of exhaustion, blood and bruises marring his body.

"This not a fair fight, hurry up and die little man!"

"Hey, is there something on your shoulder big guy?"

He turns his head just in time for the confusion bomb to explode in Mikhail's face, forcing him to release Raz as he staggers. Raz leaps forward and releases a PSI blast with the power he has left.

The energy hits Mikhail right between the eyes. His head snaps back and his body crumples, blood dribbling from the dime sized hole in his head. The corpse falls into one of the trenches made by their fight.

Raz falls to his knees, his body toppling to the side. His breath is ragged as Maloof approaches him.

"You used yourself up, Raz. What are you going to do with me?"

"You don't have the guts to use your powers to kill me."

"No, I will not succumb to sin, but I am not against putting a bullet in a dying dog's head."

He reaches for his coat and is taken by surprise when Raz puts his hands on the ground and uses it as leverage for a kick aimed directly at Maloof head. It has just enough force behind to knock the man out cold, the gun falling into the sand unfired. Raz flops back onto the ground with a groan.

"Not a dog, but a snake."

Grabbing the gun he tiredly hurls it into the ocean before relaxing on the warm sand, staring up at the airship with a heart both worried and filled with hope.


	18. What Changes With Time

"_Raz doesn't need me anymore."_

Lili attempts to grab the hull with her telekinesis, but before she can connect a massive shield wraps around the whole airship. Her ability can't grab on and she plummets, forcing her to refocus herself. She summons a levitation balloon and hangs onto it as she quickly descends the water below.

"KEZIA! KEZIA, LET ME HELP YOU! KEZIA PLEASE-"

The airship explodes, the shield containing the explosion. Lili watches in horror as the shield bulges but holds before dissipating, the charred bits of what was left of its contents falling like black snow to the ocean below.

The shock causes Lili to drop her hold on the balloon, falling the last few feet into the ocean. Ashes rain down around her as she surfaces.

"RAZ!"

"LILI?!"

Raz runs to where she is weakly swimming to shore, reaching her and hauling her out of the water.

"Oh my God, are you ok? You look terrible!"

He sweeps a hand across the bruises on her neck. Tears pour down Lili's face uncharacteristically as she uncontrollably sobs.

"Lili, where is Kezia? Kezia?! KEZIA!"

He scans the horizon, looking for a head of blonde hair desperately among the darkening tide. Lili grabs his arms for support as she continues to cry.

"Raz, you're in the water!"

He slowly looks down at the water lapping across the ankles of his shoes, his hands beginning to trembling.

"_I'm sorry Raz…I can't lift the curse. It will live on as long as there is a Galochio bloodline."_

"I'm sorry Raz, I'm so sorry! I couldn't stop her I-I-"

He wraps his arms around her, letting her sob into his chest. They cling to each other for dear life as the sands around them slowly turn black and his tears mix with the salt water in her hair.

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

Raz steps before the memorial. The Psychonauts, once they'd woken up and found out what happened, had deemed Raz, Lili, and Kezia heroes. Near the front entrance of HQ now stood a fountain, one in memory of Kezia and the other dead operatives. At the center kneeling in the water is a lifelike statue of her holding a lily in her cupped hands. In front of it stands a large marble slab with the names of all the Psychonauts considered to have been killed as a result of Maloof's organized attack. Raz slides his hand down the smooth surface until his fingers brush Kezia's name.

At this time Lili comes out of HQ and goes to stand beside him.

"They reached a verdict with Maloof. They're terminating him."

Raz can only nod, his fingers still lingering on Kezia's name.

"Raz? Are you ok?"

"I never really thanked her for everything she did for me. I don't know why, but…I just kind of assumed she'd always be there."

"That isn't true, Raz…"

"It is true. She held me together, she's was always there for me even when I wasn't there for her. She accepted me at my worst, and she saw my worst more than anything else. I survived because of her, but it was always her holding me up. She never cared about her own happiness...only mine. She was my best friend..."

"Kezia knew, Raz. She knew you could go on without her, that you're stronger now."

"I should have known. I should have known that, even after all this time, she was only hanging on for me. Why didn't I see that? I would have taken better care of her, would have let her know how much I appreciated her. Even if I couldn't love her the way she wanted me to, I could have done something to let her know how much she meant to me. Now I can't even thank her for putting me back together all those years."

"She sacrificed herself for everyone. I saw that woman, she…I didn't know how we were going to beat her. Kezia was already really hurt, Raz. She made the choice to give up everything to save everyone."

"I never got to say goodbye. There wasn't even a body to bury…"

Reaching up Lili cups his face in her hands, using her thumbs to gently brush away the wet trails on Raz's cheeks.

"What would Kezia want for you now?"

"She'd want me to move on with my life."

Raz stares at the statue for a bit longer before turning back to Lili and taking her into his arms.

"I don't want to neglect anyone else. I've let my own hardships keep me under its thumb for too long…It's time I start acting like myself again. This feeling…it's horrible. I don't ever want to feel this again."

He tilts Lili's chin upwards, pressing his lips to hers. They stay like that for a moment before separating hesitantly.

"I've changed over time, but from now on the only changes I go through will be the ones I want."

Raz lifts a basket from the ground and dumps the contents into the fountain. He takes her hand and they walk away as dozens of origami flowers of varying colors of blue float over the water, the resin on their false petals allowing them the ability to glide across the water in an undying dance in memory of the person who taught him to make them.


End file.
